"The daughter of a neighbouring Knight Did my fond heart engage; " "And ne'er did Heaven the virtues write "His bofom felt an equal wound, "Thou waft Sir ELDRED's only child, 66 Thy father's darling joy; "On me a lovely daughter fmil'd; "On me a blooming boy. "But man has woes, has clouds of care, That dim his ftar of life "My arms receiv'd the little pair, "The earth's cold breath my wife. "Forgive thou gentle Knight, forgive, Fond foolish tears will flow; "One day like mine thy heart may have, 66 And mourn its lot of woe. "But grant, kind Heaven! thou ne'er may'st know "The pangs I now impart ; "Nor ever feel the deadly blow "That rives a husband's heart. "Befide the blooming banks of Tay, "My angel's afhes fleep; "And wherefore fhould her ARDOLPH stay, 66 Except to watch and weep? "I bore my beauteous babes away "I watch'd my little houfhold cares, "Thy blooming BIRTHA here I fee," When BIRTHA did the question hear, Then pafs'd o'er good Sir ARDOLPH's face, But foon compos'd, with manly grace He thus renew'd his tale. "For him my heart too much has bled, "for him, my darling fon, "Has forrow preft my hoary head; "Scarce eighteen winters had revolv'd, "The warrior's lance to bear, "Too high I priz'd my native land, "Too dear his fame I held, "T" oppofe a parent's ftern command, "And keep him from the field. “ He left me—left his fifter too, "Yet tears bedew'd his face"What could a feeble old man do?"He burft from my embrace. "O thirft of glory, fatal flame? "O laurels dearly bought! "Yet fweet is death when earn'd with fame"So virtuous EDWY thought. "Full manfully the brave boy Arove, "A deadly wound my fon receives, "A fpear affails his fide: "Grief does not kill-for ARDOLPH lives To tell that EDwy died. "His long lov'd mother died again "I would have died-I fought to die; "But Heaven reftrain'd the thought, "And to my paffion clouded eye "My helpless BIRTHA brought. "When lo! array'd in robes of light, A nymph celeftial came; "She clear'd the mifts that dimm'd my fight— "RELIGION was her name. "She prov'd the chaftisement divine, "And bade me kifs the rod; She taught this rebel heart of mine "Submiffion to its God. He ceas'd-with forrow and delight Then weeping cries "Thou noble Knight "O ARDOLPH, might I dare afpire "And tho' I want a worthier plea "What once thy EDWY was. "My trembling tongue its aid denies ; "For thou may'ft disapprove ; "Then read it in my ardent eyes, "Oh! read the tale of love. "Thy beauteous BIRTHA!" "How could I e'er repine," "Gracious Fower, Cries ARDOLPH, "fince I fee this hour? "YesBIRTHA fhall be thine." A little tranfient gleam of red And every trembling feature fpread M 3 The tender father kindly fmil'd And fondly eyed his darling child, O then to paint the vaft delight But every kind and gracious foul, The more the Knight his BIRTHA knew, The virgin too was fond to charm Unlike the dames of modern days, Then Beauty but on merit fmil'd, |